EXPERTS have shared their top non-toxic tips for getting rid of rats, including a cheap fix sitting in your kitchen.
Carrying disease that can be transmitted via urine and droppings, as well as wreaking havoc in your green space, rats are considered to be unwelcome visitors by many.
Although there is a wide array of rat-repellents available in the market, these often contain harmful chemicals that can also destroy the rest of your garden.
Fortunately, a group of whizzes from pest control company Integrum Services spoke to The Express where they revealed the five most effective non-toxic ways to banish rats.
A NATURAL RAT - REPELLENT
Though many might be tempted to use glue traps or poison to tackle this problem, resorting to such drastic measures might harm other wildlife, or even yourself.
Instead, try a DIY repellent mixture which is both effective and doesn't cost too much either.
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“Create a potent repellent recipe using minced garlic cloves, castor oil, soap, tabasco, and water.
“Spray this delightful mix all around your garden to keep the rats away.''
PEPPERMINT OIL
Another harmless method involves using peppermint oil - unlike humans who love the refreshing and relaxing scent, these unsighty rodents will avoid your green space at all costs if they get even the slightest of hints of the fragrance.
Here, just dilute it in water and spritz the mixture over your garden plants.
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For the best results, focus on the garden shed, the base of walls and fencing, cracked walls, lawn edges, as well as flower beds and boarders.
AMMONIA NEAR NESTS
If you make a discovery of a nest that belongs to rats, a small bowl of ammonia, according to the experts, should be answer to all your worries.
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Place ammonia or ammonia-based products in a bowl and leave it next to the entrance of their home.
The strong-smelling chemical “works wonders” in deterring these pests.
ENCOURAGE PREDATORS
When dealing with these unwelcome tenants in your garden, one of the best things one can do is taking advantage of the natural food chain.
Gardeners’ World said: “Rats form a substantial part of a fox’s diet, so – where possible – it’s a good idea to give foxes space to live in your garden or allotment, too.”
Another option is keeping your pets active outdoors too.
BLOCKING POTENTIAL NESTS
Once you've managed to tackle the rat problem in your garden, it's important to take steps that will prevent the pests from returning later on.
One of the easiest ways, the experts claimed, is blocking access to potential nesting sites which rats might find attractive.
There are two areas to pay particular attention to - the space beneath decking, as well as any outdoor buildings.
Block any holes in the walls, floors, doors and if needed, you could even add a metal ''kick plate'' to your shed door.
OTHER NATURAL SCENTS
Although rats have been gifted with a very strong sense of smell to help them, this very blessing can also be used against them.
According to gurus at Pest Pointers: “You can repel rats from your home and garden with scents they dislike.”
Speaking to The Express, these include clover plants, garlic and onions and coffee grounds.
"If you need to repel rats from your garden, you can simply chuck them [coffee grounds] directly in the garden.
"Coffee grounds are great for composting, so they’re likely to help fertilise your garden in addition to repelling pests like rats and deer."
For the garlic and onion solution, you can either place entire garlic cloves around vulnerable spots, or make a rat-repelling spray using garlic and onion.
To do this, simply bring four cups of water to a boil, before adding one chopped onion and two to four cloves of garlic.
Once assembled, reduce the temperature and let simmer for five minutes.
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Next, turn off the heat and let the potent mixture cool completely.
Once cooled, strain it and store the remaining water in a spray bottle.
